[note 1] El Carnero tells the story of the Spanish conquest of the Muisca; the early exploration of northern South America and the establishment of the New Kingdom of Granada, currently Colombia and parts of Venezuela, and the foundation and first century of the city of Bogotá.
It also describes the indigenous peoples that inhabited the region during the conquest, the civil wars between them, and their customs and culture.
[3] Researcher Carlos Rey Pereira published his PhD in 2000 about the work, where he assessed the validity of the events described as a mixture of common opinions and rumours.
[4] Rodríguez Freyle filled the gaps between two other early Spanish chroniclers: Pedro Simón and Juan de Castellanos.
[5] Other critical reviews of the book mention the viewpoint of the writer; child of an encomendero and conquistador.